Luke 9:7-11

Luke 9:7-11Let us mark the power of a bad conscience. Let us mark the importance to Christians of occasional privacy and retirement. Let us mark our Lord Jesus Christ's readiness to receive all who come to Him. "Conscience is a most powerful part of our natural constitution. It cannot save our souls. It never leads a man to Christ. It is often blind, and ignorant, and misdirected. Yet conscience often raises a mighty testimony against sin in the sinner's heart, and makes him feel that "it is an evil and a bitter thing" to depart from God.""Occasional retirement, self-inquiry, meditation, and secret communion with God, are absolutely essential to spiritual health. The man who neglects them is in great danger of a fall.""We are apt to be wearied of their instability, and fickleness, and halting between two opinions. But let us remember Jesus, and not be weary. He "received all," spoke to all, and did good to all. Let us go and do likewise. As Christ deals with us, so let us deal one with another."Questions:1. Do we know from experience, the silencing of our guilty consciences, by the blood of Jesus Christ? Do we run quickly to the cross when our consciences condemn us?2. Do we have times of ‘being alone with God?’ Do we believe that the neglect of such times is the occasion of many backslidings away from Christ?3. Ryle points out that Jesus was always willing to receive, speak, and do good to all. How much like Jesus are we in this way?